Relax
by Mandalyn Soong
Summary: You get home from a hard day at work, and Sidney is there to comfort you. This was not written by me, it was written by my dear friend Abby. All credit for the work goes to her. Neither of us own outcast or the characters.


It was a hard day at work today. You dragged your feet up the driveway and up to the front door and slid the key into the front door keyhole, thankful that the workday was over. The sound of office phones, fax machines, and your boss's yelling played over and over in your head, giving you a stress headache. You stepped through the door, barely paying attention to your surroundings as you were stuck in your own head. You put down your belongings and plopped down on the couch, tired and done with everything.

"Something happen at work, darlin'?" came a voice from the kitchen. You made a groaning noise, unable or unwilling to use real words.

Sidney came out of the kitchen to check on you. He knew that when you groaned like that, it meant that you were having a bad day. "Hey now, darlin," he said in a gentle voice. "You wanna talk about it?"

You tried to answer, but when you opened your mouth to speak, no words would come out. A little noise came from your throat, and before you could stop them, tears started to fall from your eyes in little streams.

Sidney sat down next to you on the couch and wrapped his arms around you in a firm but gentle hug. "Okay, darlin', okay," he half spoke, half whispered; his voice was so gentle he could have been doing either one for all you knew. "I understand. Everything's gonna be okay." His large hand found its way to the back of your hair, guiding your head to rest on his shoulder. The long, elegant fingers of that hand ran through your hair like a hairbrush, while the other hand rubbed your back in a comforting, familiar way. "I know work stresses you out sometimes, babe," he continued. "I know how hard it is for you. But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere. I've got your back." He pulled back from the hug with an incomprehensible look on his face, though from the way they glowed in the lamplight you thought you could detect mischief in his eyes. He removed his hand from your back, and suddenly out of nowhere he started tickling your side. You immediately burst out into a peal of laughter. He knew you were ticklish and exploited this weakness as often as he could find the opportunity to do so.

But you were still a little shaky from the rough day you'd had. You felt weak and tired and yet strung up and anxious. Sidney saw this in the expression on your face and led you to his bedroom. (NO, THIS ISN'T SEXUAL. THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO CUDDLE.) It was a welcoming place, masculine and well-furnished. The dark walls were a calming respite from the blinding ceiling lights at your work.

Sidney lifted the covers of his bed, which looked comfortable. He gestured for you to get in. You sat down on the edge of the bed and sank into it almost immediately. You turned and rested your head on one of the soft pillows, gathering the covers around you in a cocoon of fluffy sweetness.

"Now don't hog the covers, darlin'," Sidney joked with a smile as he removed his hat and blazer and rested them on the nightstand. "I'm gonna need those, too." He then slid off his shoes and got into the bed next to you. You were facing each other.

"Well," said Sidney. "Are you gonna cuddle me or what?"

An involuntary smile spread across your face like butter on toast as you snuggled over to Sidney, swimming through an ocean of sheets to get to him. When you made it to him he kissed your forehead and let you snuggle your body against him. He turned onto his back to let you rest your head on his chest, and you let your body sink against his. You could hear his heart beating at a steady but unhurried pace as you rested your head on his chest. You snuggled you body up against his side and let an arm rest on his warm, soft belly. His arms wrapped around you, protecting you from anything that might want to harm you. You felt so safe and so loved when you cuddled with Sidney. "I love you so much," you whispered to him.

"I love you, too, darlin'," he replied as he began to rub your back. He knew that you found back rubs to be very calming and comforting, and this was no exception. You could feel the relaxation washing over you like an ocean wave. You let out a sigh of contentment as you snuggled up tighter against his body. Some time passed and Sidney shifted a little to check the time. "It's almost dinner time, darlin'."

You pouted. "Couldn't we cuddle for just a LITTLE longer? Please?"

Sidney laughed at your child-like plea and said, "All right, all right, if that's what you want, babe." You grinned a big, big grin as you reached out your hand and gently squished Sidney's belly. He smiled and did the same to you. And as you rested your head on his chest again, you realized that you had never felt so relaxed in your whole life.


End file.
